Rolling machine



March 14, 1944. l P. `l-l.'HLrrcHmsoN y 2,344147 4 ROLLING MACHINE 675A- rra/mfg March 14, 1944. P, H. HUTCHINSQN 2,344,147

ROLLING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wwf/WUR March 14, 1944. p H HUTcHlNsQN 2,344,147

ROLLING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 s sheets-sheet '3 \2a v |30 74A FIG 9 :ze 74B \NVENTOI2. PHIUP H. HUTCHINSON Patented Mar. 14, 1944 -'UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE ROLLING MACHINE Philip H. Hutchinson, Montclair, N. J., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 2, 1940, Serial No. 327,405 l14 Claims. (ci. :so- 23) This invention relates to rolling machines and comprises allof the features and aspects of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for rounding the ends of elongated articles, especially cylindrical rollers for antifriction bearings. Another object is to provide an improved apparatus for upsetting and shaping the end portions of elongated rollers while leaving intermediate portions substantially unchanged. Another object is to provide an improved method of producing cylindrical rollers having rounded or convexend faces.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon apparatus and methods of this character, the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed. In its broader aspects, the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific construction and steps selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings in which l Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of a roll carrying arm.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a portion of the arm.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a roll adjusting stud.

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a work supporting blade.

Fig. "I is an isometric view of an ejector lever.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged View of portions of the shaped die roll with an article in rolling position.

Figs. 9 to 15 are diagrammatic views showing to generous scale the sequence of positions of the articles.

The frame comprises a base I0 Welded to a front standard I2 and a rear standard I4, the two standards being connected by an upper sleeve I6 and a lower sleeve I8 welded to the standards. A ring 2U is welded to the front standard I2 and cooperates with a recess in the standard to form a seat for a double row preloaded ball bearing 22, the outer race ring being clamped by a cap 24. A roller bearing 26 is seated in the rear standard I 4 and its outer race ring is clamped by a cap 30. Journalled in these bearings is a drive shaft 32 driven by a pulley 34 keyed to'the shaft 32 together with a gear 36.

'I'he gear 36 meshes with an intermediate or `idler gear 38 journalled on a shouldered stud 40 which can be clamped by a screw 42 in adjusted position in an arcuate slot of the standard I4. The intermediate gear 38 drives a gear 44 on a cam shaft 46`journalled in plain bearingsv 48 carried by the standards and the connecting sleeve I8. The arcuate slot has its center at the center of the cam shaft 46 and provides a means for adjusting the intermediate gear with respect to the gears 36 and 44 for proper meshing,the gears also being replaceable with others to vary the gear ratio.

The gear 44 is loose on the shaft 46 but carries a ring 50 having recesses for a series of spring-pressed phmgers or clutch pins 52 having rounded noses to enter tapered recesses in a clutch plate 54 which is keyed to the cam shaft 46. The power applied to the cam shaft is thus limited.

A flanged sleeve is keyed to the shaft 32 and is secured by a clamping plate 62 and a screw 64. A spacing ring 66 and a larger ring 68 arev secured on the sleeve 60 by screws 69. The sleeve 6U has a flange 'IIJ which, with the ring or flange 68 constitutes a sectional die roll, the adjacent sides of the two spaced sections having mating die surfaces 12 which are curved as indicated in the enlarged view. The ends or corners of the articles or work-pieces 'I4 are forcedy against these curved surfaces, as will appear, to upset and round the ends.

A pair of work engaging rolls 'I6 with bevelled edges are journalled on shafts 'I8 carried by a recessed arm and a cover plate 82. secured to the main portion of the arm by dowel pins and screws. A third roll 84 engages the rolls 'I6 and is journalled on a bushing 86 composed of needle rollers which run on the eccentric middle portion 88 of a stud 90 which is journalled for angular adjustment in the arm 80 and the cover plate 82. The stud has a flange 92 provided with an arcuate slot 94 through which a clamping screw 96 passes into a tapped opening in the cover 82. The eccentric stud can thusbe adjusted to keep the third roll 84 in proper supporting contact with the rolls 'I6 as the latter` become worn.

The arm 80 is pivoted on a pivot shaft 68 supported by the standards I2 and I4. 'I'he arm is urged downwardly by a coil spring IUI! housed in a hole in the arm and reacting between a stud |02 on the standard I2 -and a plug |04- threaded in the arm. The arm is actuated upfrom the standard with a terminal extension or ejector |26 directed laterally therefrom to overlie a work-supporting blade |28 which is inclined downwardly to the right in Fig. 2. The blade |28 projects beyond a locating face |36 on an arm |32 projecting at right angles from a bar |34 fastened to the standard |2. directly under the rear die roll section 10 and is in substantial alignment with the end of a feed tube |36 which terminates directly under the front die roll section 68. The arm 86 has an inclined face |38 adjacent to the blade.

The articles are urged byv any suitable feed mechanism to move in a stream through the feed tube. They are prevented from advancing whenever the supporting rolls 16 are elevated by the cam |06, the rolls 16 then having portions lying across the outlet of the feed tube and other portions in the space between the die roll sections 68 and 10. The front cam |06 hasa portion with a uniform rise ofy 90 extending from the 270 degree position in Fig, 2 to the 360 degree position. There is next a degree dwell followed by a drop through degrees and then a dwell of 235. These proportions are merely illustrative and are mentioned chiefly to facilitate description. The other or rear cam |08 has a uniform rise of degrees between the 265 and 315 degree positions in Fig. 2, then a dwell of 99 degrees, then a drop through 20'degrees, followed by a dwell of 220 degrees, all proportions being merely illustrative. Since the cam roll H4. is some 45 degrees to the right of the roll 84, the sequence is the same as would occur if roll ||4 were at the twelve oclock position in Fig. 2 with its operating cam |08 turned 45 degrees anticlockwise.

The parts are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with a rolled article 14 and its supporting rolls 16 in their most elevated position to be followed by a 15 degree dwell in such position. The ejector |26 is in ejecting position with its cani roller ||4 about to ride off the high .portion of the rear cam |08. Hence the coil spring |23 is about to retract the ejector from its position over the blade |28. As the Supporting rolls 16 descend, the rolled article comes into approximate alignment with the stream of articles in the feed tube and the supporting rolls set the stream free for end- Wise movement. The articles all advance approximately one article length, the rolled article abutting against the locating face |30 where it is supported by the inclined blade |28 and the tip of the withdrawn ejector |26.V The parts have a dwell after which the cam rise on the rear cam The blade lies lever ||6. Whenever the ejector |26 pushes a completed article off the blade, the dropping article is cammed off towards the standard I2 by the inclined face |38 on the arm 80.

The sequence of positions is indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 9 to 15. In Figs. 9 and 10, the supporting rolls 16 are all the way down so that the stream of articles is urging a nished article 1.4 against the locating face |30 while such article rests on the blade |28. The ejector |26 is about to swing over the blade to eject the article 14, the advanced ejector thereafter arresting endwise movement of the next article 14A as the rolls 16 rise to the position shown in Figs. 11 and 12. When the article 14A is lifted up out of the stream to rolling position, the stream advances slightly so that the succeeding article 14B engages and is stopped by the sides of the rolls 16 as indicated in Figs. 13 and 14. As the article 14A goes up it is rolled to shape and is then lowered by the descending rolls 16 to the Fig. 15 position, the ejector meanwhile being retracted so that the article can shift endwise, it

' being understood that the succeeding article HB |08 actuates the cam roller ||4 to eject the comis arrested by the sides of the rolls 16 until the latter are all the way down. Thereafter the stream is free to'advance article 14A to the position shown by article 14 in Fig. 9 and the cycle is repeated.

The article is supported along the greater portion of its length by the supporting rolls 16 but the ends of the article project and the corners thereof are forced 'against the curved surfaces 12 of the die roll sections 68 and 10. This upsets and rounds the ends of the article. The projections or fins formed by enlargement of the diameter are afterwards ground off, as in a centerless grinding machine, leaving the desired cylindrical article with convex or rounded ends. The sectional die roll and the supporting rolls rotate the article on` its axis, the die roll being positively driven and the supporting rolls being driven frictionally by the rotating article aided by the roll k81| which is in turn driven frictionally by the positively driven cam |06. Thus each article rotates on its axis while its ends or corners are forced gradually against shaped die surfaces which taper or converge towards the center of the die roll, the ends of the article being upset and rounded while the intermediate portion of the article retains its initial diameter. The surfaces 12 extend circularly around the die roll at a uniform distance apart.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll comprising a pair of axially spaced twin sections with a space between them, an arm, a pair of article supporting rolls having an axial length to enter the space between the sections and journalled on said arm, a third roll journalled on the arm and backing up the supporting rolls, and means for swinging the arm to cause the supporting rolls to approach the die roll.

2. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, an arm, a pair of article supporting rolls adjacent to the periphery of the die roll and journalled on said arm, a cam roll engaging the supporting rolls, and a camengaging the cam roll for moving the arm.

3. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, an arm; a pair of article supporting rolls journalled on said arm, a cam roll journalled on said arm and engaging the supporting rolls, means for shifting the cam roll with respect to the arm, and a cam engaging the cam roll.

4. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, a feed tube extending laterally of the die roll and having an exit opening adjacent to the periphery thereof, a pair of work supporting rolls, and means for shifting the supporting rolls across the end of the feed tube to close the exit opening of the feed tube and to carry an article against the die roll.

5. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, a feed tube extending laterally of the die roll, a work-receiving blade in alignment with the feed tube, a pair of work supporting rolls, and means for projecting the supporting rolls into and out of the space between the feed tube and the blade.

6. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, a feed tube extending laterally of the die roll, a work-receiving blade in alignment with the feed tube, a pair of work supporting rolls, means for projecting the supporting rolls into and out of the space between the feed tube and the blade, and a work ejector movable crosswise of the blade.

7. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, a feed tube extending laterally of the die roll, a work-receiving blade in alignment with the feed tube, a pair of work supporting rolls, a work ejector, means for shifting the work supporting rolls towards or from the die roll, and means for shifting the ejector crosswise of the blade in timed relation to the shifting movement of the supporting rolls.

8. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll, a work receiving blade adjacent to the die roll, a pair of work supporting rolls shiftable to carry a work-piece into or out of alignment with the blade, and a work ejector shiftable across the blade.

9. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll having shaped surfaces spaced apart and converging towards the center of the roll, means for guiding a stream of elongated articles endwise and laterally of the die roll at the periphery thereof, a locating face extending crosswise of the articles to locate them endwise, and article engaging means for forcing the articles sideways towards the shaped surfaces.

10. In apparatus of the character indicated, a die roll having shaped surfaces spaced apart and converging towards the center of the roll, means for guiding a stream of elongated articles endwise and laterally of the die roll at the periphery thereof, a locating face extending crosswise of the articles to locate them endwise, and a pair of rolls shiftable towards the space between the shaped surfaces to force the ends of the articles against the shaped surfaces.

1l. In apparatus of thD character indicated, a die roll, a pair of work supporting rolls, a cam follower roll frictionally engaging the supporting rolls, a drive shaft connected to the die roll, and ,a rotary cam geared to the drive shaft and engaging the follower roll.

l2. In apparatus for upsetting and rounding the ends of a cylindrical roller, a die roll having a pair of mating surfaces converging towards the center of the roll, the outer portions of the surfaces being spaced apart a distance to receive the roller therebetween and forcibly engage the corners of the roller, means for rotating the die roll, and means rollingly engaging the periphery of the roller to support it for rotation on its axis, said means being constructed and arranged to gradually force the corners of the roller against said converging surfaces to upset and round the ends of the roller while leaving the remaining portion of the roller with its diameter substantially unchanged.

13. In apparatus for upsetting and rounding the ends of a cylindrical roller, a die roll comprising a pair of axially spaced twin sections having their adjacent surfaces tapered and converging towards the center of the roll, a spacing ring between the sections and of smaller diameter than the tapering surfaces to provide a space opposite to the middle portion of the roller when its corners are forced against said tapering surfaces, and means rollingly engaging the periphery of the roller and adapted to forcibly press the corners of the roller against the tapering surfaces to upset the ends.

14. In apparatus for rounding the ends of an elongated roller by an upsetting operation, a rotary die roll having shaped article upsetting surfaces converging steeply towards the axis of the die roll for forcible upsetting contact with the corners at the end faces of the roller, said surfaces extending circularly around the die roll at a uniform distance apart, the inner portions of said surfaces being closer together than the length of the roller and the outer portions of said surfaces being spaced apart axially of the die roll a greater distance than the length of the roller to receive the roller between them, and means rollingly engaging the periphery of the roller to Y support it for rotation on its axis while said corners of the roller are forced against said converging surfaces for the upsetting operation.

PHILIP H. HUTCHINSON. 

